But I also read articles that the FDA in recent years ordered all the "human" comfrey containing supplements pulled off shelves. The studies they sited do seem flawed as they only used a concentrated form of the offending alkaloid that is in trace amounts in comfrey. Is it just big brother trying to get rid of what was appearing to be a cheap wonder plant? Or is comfrey harmful? Can anyone add to my confusion?

Comfrey is fine. If you're using the actual plant, that is. There is such a thing as too much comfrey but unless you're farming it big time or are into spending tons of money on some I doubt you'd obtain that.

Edit: After looking at the article, what the author describes for chickens is fine. They'll eat what they want. When I was referring to "too much comfrey" my meaning was more along the lines of a diet of nothing but comfrey

Thanks for the replies. I've used comfrey in the past on myself with no adverse side effects, but wondered after some of the warnings. I'll let our 6 Girls decide for themselves, if they want to eat some comfrey treats in addition to their regular diet.

I was about to post an entry on comfrey today (been going to for some time, months) I read about in the 60s as a useful medicinal herb and feed for anmals. Didn't use/need that then. Now that we have the chickens i do. I tried to find some in the local plant sources, had no success, some had knowlwdge of it but no one could even provide source. Online I found an herb source that had two types. "True Comfrey", medicinal, fertile, original, and equisite," and "Russian blocking 14 cultivar", the one used for animal feed. I purchased some of each, planted the Russian next to the run so birds could nibble it through the fenceing but it could still grow to maturity for harvest and saved for winter feeding. That's the important part to most of us i guess . NOW What i want to know is if anyone has harvested this stuff for their chikns and how to keep it fron decaying. I have,in years past, dried herbs & flowers.

DM, Allantoin is found in very small amounts in both species. Longtime use would indicate that is useful, not harmful. It's a cell proliferant used for healing.

I pick the leaves and throw it into the girls, they love it. I lost my best plant when they buried my burned barn, but I have a coupl eof smaller ones. I don't have as many leaves to give the girls, but they treasure what I can spare for them!